The power couple of Larry and Mary Ann Tsai have a lengthy list of accomplishments too numerous to mention in a simple paragraph. Larry Tsai grew up on the West Coast earning a degree in economics from Princeton and later receiving an MBA in business from Stanford. Mary Ann met Larry in Los Angeles while earning her degree in business. She would follow a path of entrepreneurship earning an MBA from Harvard and then return to the West Coast to become VP of Beringer. Both had a devote passion for wines and the wine industry founding Moone-Tsai wines in 2003. They employed the talents of legendary French-American winemaker Philippe Melka to craft their wines.

The 2022 Moone-Tsai Pinot Noir Corinne Cuvée Santa Rita Hills is from the fog-shrouded, wind-blown Santa Rita Hills, along California’s Central Coast are the fruit source for the cool-climate, Moone Tsai Corinne Cuvée Pinot Noir. Located 16 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the unique soils of Dave Phinney’s famed Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard make an exceptional setting for growing remarkable Pinot Noir.  In the glass the color is bright ruby with pale ruby hues. The bouquet offers classic aromas of Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills of warm fruit, baked cherries, a hint of rose petals, cedar and red currant. The palate is expansive and with layers of ripe red fruit jelly, fresh and minerally driven in texture, a delicious mouthfeel of tart and tangy with a balance of sweetness and acidity. Remarkably harmonious and balanced all the way through the finish. Mary Ann and Larry continue to create excellent wines in every varietal they produce. The Moone Tsai Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills is another example of how driven they are!

By Perry Miroballi / W Peter Hoyne